Middle East
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi on February 14. The mandir can host 10000 people.
It is the first traditional Hindu stone mandir in the whole of West Asia or the Middle East.
The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha is constructing the temple on a 27-acre plot of land in Abu Mureikhah.
The temple has been constructed with an estimated cost of Rs 700 crores. It features seven spires representing each Emirate of the country.
Beautiful marble carvings, created by Indian artisans from over 25,000 pieces of stone, adorn the facade of the shrine.
Substantial amounts of pink sandstone were transported from northern Rajasthan to Abu Dhabi for its durability against scorching temperatures reaching up to 50 °C (122 °F).
Lord Swaminarayan, Ram-Sita, Radha-Krishna, Lakshmana, Hanuman, Shiva-Parvati, Ganesha, Kartikeya, Padmavati-Venkateshwara, Jagannath, and Ayyappa.
Two ghumats (domes), seven shikars (spires) - symbolic of the seven Emirates in UAE, 12 samrans and 402 pillars.